FRIDAY, March 29, 2024
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Develop medical tourism with safety in mind

Develop medical tourism with safety in mind

I think it is great that famous musician Pete Doherty sought treatment in Thailand for his drug addiction and delivered a live performance for his Thai fans last week.

Doherty’s decision to choose Thailand is a testament to the global appeal of Thai medical facilities.
In fact, a quick scan of the Internet shows there are quite a few rehabilitation centres in the Kingdom. However, I can’t help but wonder how many of these clinics are properly licensed and staffed?
My understanding is they are required to get a licence from the Public Health Ministry and must have a registered medical head and supporting nursing staff to operate legally.
Yet looking at different websites, the only rehab centre that appeared to actually have a licence and proper medical staff was the Cabin in Chiang Mai.
How can this be?
Thailand needs to develop viable tourism markets to attract overseas visitors and medical tourism is an attractive option.
We have excellent medical facilities and staff, who are able to compete with anywhere else in the world.
I just hope that we are smart enough to protect these assets because an unlicensed clinic operating illegally in this country will inevitably hurt or injure a client, which will in turn irrevocably damage Thailand’s reputation in this important emerging market.
A Concerned Thai

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